Dicer Functions in Aquatic Species

Dicer Functions in Aquatic Species

Dicer is an RNase III enzyme with two catalytic subunits, which catalyzes the cleavage of double-stranded RNA to small interfering RNAs and micro-RNAs, which are mainly involved in invasive nucleic acid defense and endogenous genes regulation. Dicer is abundantly expressed in embryos, indicating the importance of the protein in early embryonic development. In addition, Dicer is thought to be in...

Sleep in Aquatic Species

Dicer-2 Processes Diverse Viral RNA Species

RNA silencing pathways play critical roles in gene regulation, virus infection, and transposon control. RNA interference (RNAi) is mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which are liberated from double-stranded (ds)RNA precursors by Dicer and guide the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to targets. Although principles governing small RNA sorting into RISC have been uncovered, the spectr...

Conjugation of organic pollutants in aquatic species.

Aquatic organisms can take up organic pollutants from their environment and subsequently excrete the pollutant or its biotransformation products (metabolites). Phase II (conjugation) biotransformation products are almost always less toxic than the unmetabolized organic pollutant. For many organic pollutants, the extent to which conjugates are formed is extremely important in determining the rat...

Current Projects in Aquatic Nuisance Species

Although New York Sea Grant addresses a variety of aquatic nuisance species issues, of greatest concern are the effects of the zebra mussel on the state’s public and private infrastructure. Over the last decade, combating these exotics has cost the state at least $28 million, impacting electric power generation, drinking water facilities and residential water supplies, food processing, automoti...